IRVING, Tx. – On Monday afternoon, the American Athletic Conference announced the 2022 Baseball awards and All-Conference Teams. A total of four Knights were selected for All-Conference honors. Pitchers Ben Vespi and Connor Staine earned First-Team honors, while catcher Andrew Sundean and outfielder Gephry Pena were named to the Second Team.
Ben Vespi finished the year with a 6-3 record on the mound, posting a 3.20 ERA for the Knights. He helped guide UCF to two shutouts and collected two saves during his time out of the bullpen. Vespi worked 59 innings this season, walking just 15 batters to his 61 strikeouts.
Connor Staine joined the Knights this season and was one of the most dominate pitchers in the league. Staine finished the year with a 4-1 record and tallied a 1.54 ERA. He worked 41 innings, recording 32.2 of those without allowing an earned run. The righty has struck out 49 batters and opponents are batting .193 off Staine.
Freshman Andrew Sundean earned a second team nod on Monday, after stepping into the lineup early in the year. Sundean posts a .330 average at the plate, collecting 31 RBIs and collecting 13 extra base hits (8 2B, 5 HR). Sundean leads the team with 17 hit by pitches and has scored 21 times for the Knights in his 38 appearances.
Gephry Pena rounded out the four Knights on all conference teams, earning a second team nomination. Pena posts a .329 average at the plate and an OPS of .897. He has driven in 33 RBIs and has walked 24 times this season. Pena leads the team with 24 of the 98 stolen bases this season and leads the team in runs scored with 44.
Player of the Year (or Position Player of the Year)
Griffin Merritt, R-Jr., OF, Cincinnati
Pitcher of the Year
Carter Spivey, Jr., East Carolina
Newcomer Position Player of the Year
Brock Rodden, So., 2B, Wichita State
Newcomer Pitcher of the Year
Landon Gartman, Fr., Memphis
Coach of the Year
Cliff Godwin, East Carolina
First-Team All-Conference
P – Landon Gartman, Memphis*
P – Ben Vespi, So., UCF
P – Cameron Bye, So., Wichita State
P – Connor Staine, R-So., UCF
P – Dylan Carmouche, So., Tulane
RP – Carter Spivey, Jr., East Carolina
C – Anthony Tulimero, R-So., Houston
1B – Ryan Hernandez, Sr., Houston
2B – Brock Rodden, So., Wichita State
SS – Zach Agnos, So., East Carolina
3B – Carmine Lane, R-So., South Florida
OF – Griffin Merritt, R-Jr., Cincinnati
OF – Lane Hoover, Jr., East Carolina
OF – Chuck Ingram, So., Wichita State
DH – Jacob Compton, So., Memphis
UTL – Ryder Giles, Jr., East Carolina
Second-Team All-Conference
P – Beau Keathley, Sr., Cincinnati
P – C.J. Mayhue, So., East Carolina
P – Garrett Saylor, Jr., East Carolina
P – Connor Linn, So., Cincinnati
P – Grant Siegel, Fr., Tulane
RP – Ben Sears, Jr., Houston
C – Andrew Sundean, Fr., UCF
1B – Ryan Nicholson, R-So., Cincinnati
2B – Jacob Starling, East Carolina
SS – Ian McMillan, R-Jr., Houston
3B – Alec Makarewicz, So., East Carolina
OF – Paul Komistek, R-Jr., Cincinnati
OF – Bryson Worrell, Sr., East Carolina
OF – Gephry Pena, R-Jr., UCF
DH – Cam Clonch, So., East Carolina
UTL – Brandon Uhse, Jr., Houston
* denotes unanimous selection